The more Chris Christie flirts with a presidential race, the worse the whole idea looks. Reports that the New Jersey governor is seriously -- seriously -- considering a run come from a political brain trust that appears to be made up mainly of the folks who ran Rudy Giuliani's campaign four years ago. Does anybody remember the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign? It was one of the most dismal flops in recent political history.

This week saw the rise of late-in-the-game Christie for President hoopla, and the dramatic, defeat-snatched-from-the-jaws-of-victory final fall of the Boston Red Sox. It also brought the start of Michael Jackson's doctor's trial (thrilling HLN's anchors, though Nancy Grace's wardrobe malfunction was caused by an energetic quickstep, not titillating testimony) and the end of Andy Rooney's run as America's favorite curmudgeon. Meeting a more final end was senior al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, whose killing prompted Leon Panetta to offer this classic shot of wry: "This has been a bad year for terrorists." Meanwhile, the Occupy Wall Street protests intensified, a welcome reminder that, for angry Americans, the Tea Party is not the only option -- and that the energy for real change will definitely come from outside Washington. Keep your eye on Zuccotti Square.